Eli Drinkwitz shares encouraging Ahmad Hardy update from SEC Media Days
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Likely the biggest storyline regarding Missouri’s offseason revolved around the status of star running back Ahmad Hardy, as the former Louisiana-Monroe transfer was shot in the leg while attending a concert in his home state of Mississippi in early May.
The news was unfortunate for a variety of reasons, as the Oma, Mississippi native became a beloved star after combining for exactly 3,000 career yards through just two seasons (one with ULM, one with the Tigers).
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But while meeting with reporters during SEC Media Day festivities on Monday, Mizzou head coach Eli Drinkwitz provided a positive update on Hardy’s recovery, per Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde.
“Ahmad has been medically cleared from the bullet that struck him and is on the road to recovery,” Drinkwitz said. “Today was his first day back towards a full recovery…What that recovery will look like is still to be determined.”
Drinkwitz added that Hardy’s return-to-play protocol could take five-to-eight weeks and explained that the running back’s ability to compete at his former level after recovering remains to be seen, but he expects “a better Ahmad Hardy.”
After Hardy finished second in the nation with 1,649 rushing yards during the 2025 campaign, Mizzou fans are hopeful that the small-town product can contribute in some regard during the season.
Sophomore tailback Jamal Roberts, who racked up 753 yards and 6 touchdowns in a primary backup role to Hardy last year, is expected to handle the bulk of the carries in the meantime.
Parker is currently the sports editor for Gulf Coast Media in Foley, Alabama. He's a graduate from Mizzou who has experience covering the Tiger football and basketball beats for SB Nation, and he's worked for a variety of sports news outlets in the past.
